Hello, my name is Johanna Pemberton-Smith and I'm 47 years old and currently living in Canada. I am a native English speaker and teach English. I have been an online English teacher with Verbalplanet.com since May 2016.
I can speak the following languages fluently: English, French.
I am currently offering a discounted initial trial lesson at 70% of my normal lesson price for new students.

Detailed Profile in English

About me

Hello dear student!

I have been teaching English for over 10 years, from children as young as 4 years old, to teenagers and adults of all ages. I have taught people from all over the world, with different accents and cultural backgrounds. I teach all levels, from beginners to advanced and I am passionate about language, communication and phonetics. I make the lessons dynamic, fun and use humour in my examples. We can discuss any topic you are interested in, we can focus on school work, your job, hobbies, or any other area where you need to be fluent in English.

One of my main goals as a language teacher, is to get the student's pronunciation to be as exact as possible. I don't subscribe to the "good enough" mentality. I know you can say it properly, and I will help you with some little tricks and fun practice methods, until you sound as close to a native English person as possible. I use positive reinforcement to encourage students and build their confidence. We will work as a team to get you to attain your objectives. Are you ready to increase your opportunities by being able to understand, speak, read and write in English? Good! I look forward to working with you. :)

Qualifications & Experience

I have been teaching for over 10 years, in school classrooms with groups of students, in individual lessons with private students, at businesses and company offices, in week-long immersions ( 8 hours per day, every day), as well as on the phone and via webcam.

I am certified by the Global Tesol College in Canada, with an Advanced Teaching Diploma, as well as the Foundation Course and a Specialization Course in Tourism. Over the years, I have taught English vocabulary in various specific domains, including law, finance, medicine, business, internet technology, as well as English for the purpose of traveling, social situations, school work and as a requirement to obtain a specific job. I am also certified in the TOEFL government exam preparation and have much experience in preparing students for the TOEIC, IELTS and KET exams also. I also hold a certificate from Profs-experts and have always received positive feedback from my students, even in anonymous evaluations.

I have developed some tips and techniques to help with tenacious pronunciation mistakes and have a multitude of exercises, reading resources and grammar information that I can share with you by Skype or email. I speak clearly, at a reasonable pace, to make it easier for my students to understand me and I am very patient and encouraging.

Teaching Approach

My approach is: FUN! :) I truly believe that when we are relaxed, happy and confident, learning happens in an organic, fluid way. I use humour whenever possible in my explanations and examples and I am not an intimidating person. My students and I often laugh, and I have found that when something is made funny, we remember it more easily and for a longer time. We will have fun, yet I take my role as a teacher very seriously. I will not ignore mistakes, or allow mispronunciations or poor syntax. You will learn your conjugation thoroughly, you will write correctly and succinctly and you will speak clearly, confidently, with proper emphasis, word stress on the correct syllable, and precise intonation and pronunciation.

I am a patient, gentle teacher, who is always ready to listen and help you with any difficulties and problems you may face. I realize every student is different and learns at their own pace. There is no "one size fits all" approach to learning. I adjust to the student's needs and capabilities. Creativity is important, so I use a variety of ways to incorporate new vocabulary and conversation opportunities, such as role-plays, debates, questions, games and opinion discussions. I like to use jokes on occasion, for their clever wording and to relax while learning. I am open to suggestions on the student's part, if there is anything in particular you would like to focus on. I am passionate and energetic and I will explain as many times as you need me to, in as many ways necessary to your comprehension. Even if you are shy, you will feel comfortable with me, I'm sure. :)

Great first lesson! You get a straight assessment regarding your pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and a point from where you can start to improve your English. I am looking forward to the next lesson!

24 Jul 2018
By : deisyfernandafeitosa
Subject : English

I loved the lession with com Johanna! She is amazing and very professional. I´m so happy for found her.

15 Jan 2018
By : kinoin
Subject : English

Johanna is a very energetic and dedicated teacher. I enjoyed having a very fun and interesting conversations with her. If you really hesitate to speak out loud, Johanna definetely will help you to start speaking!